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Who Needs SMSTS Training?
Safety has to be a priority in the risky construction sector. The SMSTS training has emerged as a critical aid to help site managers and others on construction sites to manage their duties without the risks of injuries. But who should go for this SMSTS training? In this article, we look into who needs SMSTS, the SMSTS target group, and the requisites of SMSTS, and thereby aim to help decide if this qualification is relevant to you.
What Is SMSTS: Site Management Safety Training Scheme?
It is a 5 days training programme conducted by CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) that enables construction managers, construction supervisors, and site leadership staff to understand their statutory duties in health, safety, and environmental management. This training covers areas including: legal and regulatory duties, risk assessments, method statements, site set-up, welfare, fire safety, communications, environmental protection, working at height, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health).
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The delivery may either be classroom-based learning or instructor-led live online training (via Zoom, Googlemeet for instance), focusing on examination at the end of the training; the exam comprises 25 questions, including multiple choices and short written answers, with a required pass mark of 80%. An accredited CITB certificate is issued to every successful candidate, valid for a period of five years. Also, a 2-day course and a refresher course are available for experienced students having prior training.
Do You Need to Attend SMSTS Training?
To answer the question “who needs SMSTS training,” it can be safely said: anyone who has the responsibility of overseeing work safety on site, leading the site, or performing contractual obligations in construction. The SMSTS training is most applicable to persons who manage or supervise the actual construction projects, especially in the United Kingdom, and it is often a legal requirement or contractual condition in most construction tenders and contracts.
The SMSTS target audience consists of site managers or project managers who run bodily operations on the site. They are thus required to ensure that construction work is conducted safely, teams apply systems of work that are safe, and compliances with health and safety law are maintained. If you manage several trades, large-risk activities, or health and safety for more than one construction unit, SMSTS would be very important for you. Most construction contracts today ask that key personnel have a currently valid SMSTS certification. Therefore, SMSTS is not just an advantage but basically a requirement for tendering and project delivery.
Benefits and Why It Matters!
The training will offer potential value to you, even if your particular job may not yet require an SMSTS. Firstly, it enables you to look after your workforce by identifying and managing risk and implementing effective controls to mitigate it. This results in fewer accidents and incidents, fostering a good safety culture and reducing downtime. Second, it ensures compliance: informing you of the legal obligations under the likes of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and CDM Regulations (2015) reduces your exposure to enforcement action.
Also, to possess SMSTS certification raises your credibility; it is not uncommon for clients and principal contractors for projects to insist on qualifications being held by those who manage their sites, and possession of a valid certificate will often tip the balance in contract awards. From a personal standpoint, SMSTS demonstrates leadership, competence, and a pro-safety stance, equipping you for other career opportunities to pursue in construction management.
Requirements for SMSTS
There are no strict prerequisites for entering SMSTS. Generally, those considered appropriate applicants would have previous experience in the construction, supervision, or site environment. To obtain the maximum benefits, training providers may expect candidates to have reasonable literacy and comprehension skills. This is because some course activities include reading written materials, group discussions, and sitting for an examination.
Course Structure
SMSTS is a 5 days course (This course can be done on both weekdays and weekends) for beginners. The topics for teaching include short briefings on legal duties and site risk assessments, method statements, site setup and welfare, fire safety and environmental protection, working at height, use of PPE, communication, and a little bit on managing hazardous substances (mostly under COSHH). Training is highly interactive: case scenarios, group discussions, and practicals are all considered a part of SMSTS requirements.
Day 5 ends with a final test of 25 questions. A minimum of 80% is their threshold to pass. Upon passing, a candidate gets an accredited CITB certificate from the overseeing bank, which lasts for five years. After which, refresher training is necessary to keep it current.
If any candidate achieves 70% marks then instead of doing full SMSTS training again, they can sit directly for re-take or re-assessment.
When is the Training Mandatory ?
While it may be of great value to undergo a SMSTS training in a lot of different situations, among other things, it becomes a must where contract law, or statute, stipulates it. On many UK construction sites, it will be required of senior site staff under tender rules or contractual conditions. Though not necessarily required at the beginning, clients or lead contractors may deem SMSTS certification necessary for proof of competence and commitment to safety.
When you are supervising multi-trades or cross-site activities, SMSTS becomes an accredited bona fide qualification.
Conclusion
The question of who needs to have an SMSTS can be unambiguously answered: those in charge of health and safety within construction projects should have one. The intended audience for the SMSTS comprises individuals such as site managers, project managers, supervisors, directors, contractors, and clients who are involved with safety oversight. The requirements for SMSTS are minimal in terms of previous qualifications, but one has to attend the course, study, and take the final assessment to obtain the certificate valid for five years.
Undergoing SMSTS training will help you maintain safety standards in your work, it will boost your esteem in the market and increase your capacity to lead construction operations with confidence. If you find yourself anywhere in the line of site responsibility, SMSTS is often a worthy and at times an indispensable qualification.
FAQ's
How long is the SMSTS certificate valid?
CITB SMSTS certificates are valid for five years, after which the holder will need to undertake refresher training.
Can I take SMSTS online?
Many providers, such as Coteca, offer live-trainer-online formats via online platforms.
Who exactly attends SMSTS?
Site managers, project managers, supervisors, contractors, and directors, etc., is the target group for SMSTS.
What score is needed to pass?
minimum of 80% on the 25-question paper is required to be deemed as passing.
About Coteca, and how can we help?
Coteca is a construction training and certification company that complements formal SMSTS training by giving individuals further assistance in their compliance, coaching, or auditing. This helps individuals to maintain their safety standards both prior to and post-course.
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